When it comes to marketing, I am asked about search engines more than just about anything else.  Don't let Search Engine Optimization companies fool you.  You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on Search Engine Optimization or link exchanges, the principles are very simple, although, like everything worthwhile, take time and effort.  Here is what you need to do to be Search Engine Savvy.

1. Get Other Web Sites to Link To You
This is the number-one thing you can do to increase your search engine results. Why?  Search Engines use the number and quality of links to your site to determine your site's popularity.  Ask your artist friends, your galleries, your art clubs and anyone else related to art you can think of to link to you.  Make asking for a link part of your regular routine.  If you don't do anything else on this list, PLEASE get other web sites to link to you.
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2. Use Keyword-Rich Text
Write a paragraph or two for each page on your web site.  Be sure to "work in" your most important key words into the text.  The magic number seems to be four times.  If your name is the keyword you are targeting, use your name naturally in your paragraph four times.
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3.  Keep each page focused on one major theme
Don't try to use all your keywords on every page.  Focus on one or two keywords on each page of your site.  For most artists, this happens naturally.  Focus your main page and your "about the artist" pages on you as an artist and what you mostly create.  Then focus each artwork detail page on the particulars of that piece. 

4. Use Descriptive Page Titles that Contain your Key Words
Page Titles are weighted heavily by search engines.  Be sure to title each artwork with a very keyword rich, descriptive title.  "Old Courthouse in Steamboat Springs, Colorado" is a MUCH better title (for search engines and humans) than "Landscape #23."  FASO uses the artwork title as the page title for artwork pages.  In the Marketing Center of your control panel, you can override the default Main Page Title we use if you have specific keywords you want to use.

5. Build an ever increasing "library" of content
Over time, you need to create more and more text content that search engines can index.  If you do, you will capture, over time, more and more smaller "niche" keywords.  There are two ways to do this for most artists: 1. Write a good, descriptive paragraph to go with each artwork and KEEP MOST ARTWORKS ON YOUR SITE INDEFINITELY (this is why we have an "archive" feature) and 2.  Set up a Blog - it is better if the blog is integrated with your web site (as with FASO)
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6. Build word-of-mouth "buzz"
Tell people about your web site!  Put your Web Site Address on your business card.  Put it on your letterhead.  Put it on the back of EVERY SINGLE ART WORK.  Send email to your friends.  Ask your friends to send email to their friends talking about you.  Submit comments in online forums.  Advertise your web site in any print ads you run.  Tell  people at shows about your site.  Tell people when they lament missing out on a sold piece, that they can get "previews" on your web site.  The list goes on and on and on. . .

7. Submit Your Site To Google
It seems like this should be the number one recommendation doesn't it?  Well, it's not.  Why?  Because if you follow our advice given in number and get other web sites to link to you, Google will find you anyway.  However, it never hurts, so to submit your site to Google, visit the following link:
http://www.google.com/addurl

8. Be Realistic
Selling art takes marketing.  Real marketing.  You must be willing to build contacts, build a mailing list, communicate with prospects, etc.  Search Engine marketing is important but please don't think it is a substitute for other forms of marketing.  Many artists are shy and prefer to be in the studio and have little contact with prospects.  This makes "substituting" search engine optimization for "physical" marketing a strong temptation for some personality types.  In the real world, it takes both types of marketing.


I sincerely hope this little "Search Engine 101" will be helpful to you in your marketing efforts.

If you have any questions or other tips you have found to be useful, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Clint Watson
Software Craftsman and Art Fanatic


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